GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A Michigan police chief reversed course Monday and publicly recognized the officer who fatally shot Patrick Lyoya within the again of the top throughout an April 4 visitors cease.
The Grand Rapids officer is Christopher Schurr, Chief Eric Winstrom stated.
Lyoya, 26, a Black man and native of Congo, was killed after a battle with the white officer.
“In the interest of transparency, to reduce ongoing speculation, and to avoid any further confusion, I am confirming the name already publicly circulating — Christopher Schurr — as the officer involved in the April 4 officer-involved shooting,” Winstrom stated in an announcement.
In the aftermath of the capturing and the discharge of video, Winstrom stated he would withhold the officer’s title until he was charged with against the law. It was described as a long-standing apply that utilized to the general public in addition to metropolis workers.
Lyoya’s household and Black leaders, together with the Rev. Al Sharpton, the host of MSNBC’s “PoliticsNation,” repeatedly known as for transparency and launch of the title.
“We want his name!” Sharpton shouted at Lyoya’s funeral on Friday, saying authorities can not set a precedent of withholding the names of officers who kill individuals until the officer is charged.
Lyoya, who was unarmed, was face down on the bottom when he was shot. Schurr was on high of him and might be heard on video demanding that he take his hand off the officer’s Taser.
A forensic pathologist who performed an post-mortem on the household’s request stated the gun was pressed to Lyoya’s head when he was shot.
“Every time a young Black man or woman is arrested in this town, you put their name all over the news. Every time we’re suspected of something, you put our name out there,” Sharpton stated. “How dare you hold the name of a man that killed this man? We want his name!”
After the funeral, Grand Rapids City Manager Mark Washington acknowledged the demand for the officer’s title and stated he would talk about the matter with Winstrom and metropolis employment officers.
“Police reform requires evaluating many long-standing practices to ensure our actions are consistent with the best interests of the community and the individuals involved,” Washington stated final week.